Vote on Unemployment Insurance Pushed to Monday

This article originally appeared at Washington Independent and is reprinted in partnership with Washington Independent and the Center for Independent Media.

The Senate
will vote Monday evening on legislation extending unemployment benefits
— a procedural vote that could clear the way for final passage as early
as late Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Thursday. The bill has been held up for weeks as party leaders have tangled over amendments, procedure and probably their picks in the World Series.

Monday’s cloture vote won’t pass the bill, but only ends the GOP
filibuster, allowing the staging of the final vote. Senate rules
dictate, however, that 30 hours must pass between the cloture vote and
that on final passage — meaning that, absent a deal, the Senate can’t
pass the bill much sooner than midnight on Tuesday.

Reid said the bill will include only two additional amendments: A tax credit for homebuyers, and a tax benefit allowing businesses to recoup taxes they paid in recent profitable years.

If an agreement is struck between the parties, all of this could change at any time.